Chip Kelly as USC's next coach? Not so fast - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Travis Haney, ESPN Staff Writer
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After Steve Sarkisian’s dismissal Monday, just 18 games into his stay at USC, there’s a staggering amount of instability for one of college football’s most storied programs. Interim Clay Helton becomes the fourth temporary or permanent head coach for the Trojans since Lane Kiffin was fired in September 2013, and Helton has twice been in this position.
When the team plays Notre Dame on Saturday, it will be the fourth different USC head coach Brian Kelly has seen standing across from him in four years.
Even with such an insane level of turnover, the USC brand holds strong. It’s still one of the very best jobs in the country.
A Power 5 head coach recently offered an anecdote that explains why.
“A few years ago, I was recruiting this kid for [another top-tier program], and it came down to us and USC. The kid wound up going to USC even though they were in the middle of a coaching change.
“I said, ‘Why would you go there? They don’t even have a coach.’”
“He said, ‘Because it’s USC. They’ll get a good coach.’”
There aren’t many programs in America that would carry that sort of weight. Of course, location is a huge reason for that. The draw of a major metro area -- and Hollywood and the beaches, etc. -- is always going to be a central recruiting tool for USC. History might not mean as much to the modern recruit, but playing at SC still has unwavering mystique.
“It’s still f------ USC,” one coach said. “It’ll always be f------ USC.”
There’s also a matter of who is ultimately making the hire. Athletic director Pat Haden’s hide is on the line with this Sarkisian hire. Coaches have been telling me that since before Sarkisian's Salute to Troy meltdown back in August.
There was always a sense in the coaching community that this was a risky hire for three reasons: (1) as with Kiffin, who failed before him, Sarkisian was a USC offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll; (2) he was 35-29 at Washington; and (3), the tales of his social behavior, in L.A. and Seattle, were far from a secret. Those might just now be coming to light, but they’ve been well traveled in coaching circles for some time.
“We just wanted the guy to get help, to be honest with you,” one coach told me in August. “You can’t be doing that stuff in public. But what do you say?”
Given all those factors, the Sarkisian hire needed to go well for Haden. This season needed to go well for Haden. Instead, it has blown up in his face not even two seasons into the experiment.
So monitor how Haden weathers the coming days, weeks and months. The next decision just might not be his to make.
Ultimately, who will the school target?
NFL route
Now free from his show-cause restriction, stemming from infractions at Oregon, Chip Kelly will be the popular name.
One coach told me he could see Kelly at Maryland before USC. No one I’ve spoken with has been on board with a Chip-USC connection.
“I just don’t see it,” the coach told me. “For one thing, who says he’s leaving the NFL? Why does everyone just assume that and run to that conclusion? [Also], you’re telling me Pat Haden is going to hire another coach who has had issues with the NCAA? I doubt that. That would be four USC coaches in a row with some kind of NCAA [past]; how many times can you do that?”
Another Power 5 coach: “It’s too early to know [who it’ll be] ... but it won’t be Chip Kelly.”
Don't expect to see Chip Kelly leave the NFL to return to the college ranks at the Coliseum.
Former Trojans Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio are sure to again get traction, just as they did the last time the job was open. And perhaps Fisher or Del Rio would be inclined to listen since the program is even worse off than it was two years ago.
It would entail a significant pay cut for Fisher, who is making $7-plus million as head coach of the St. Louis Rams. We did just see Jim Harbaugh take less money to aid his alma mater -- but $7 million per year is a whole lot of money, and USC would pay, at most, closer to $5 million.
Del Rio is not making nearly that, but he’s in his first season with what appears to be an improving Oakland Raiders roster.
However, at least one coach wondered whether an NFL coach would provide the stability that USC so desperately needs.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
As an agent said last year, “If you can coach at Notre Dame, you can coach anywhere.”
That was in reference to the notion that Kelly, now in his sixth season with the Irish, had been worn down by the constant attention as well as by Notre Dame's stringent academic restrictions, something he vented about earlier this year.
USC is another private school, and there’s still plenty of attention, but it does not have quite the same hurdles that Notre Dame does. Kelly has always cut the image of an NFL- or CEO-type figure. He would provide certain stability that is so desperately needed in L.A.
Kelly has proved he can recruit at a high level and field a competitive team at Notre Dame, and that was after a similar run of coaching instability in South Bend. He makes perhaps the most sense of any coach on the board, and he seems with each passing season to be closer and closer to making a move. There are a lot worse parachutes than USC, and Kelly just might consider the pressure there a vacation compared to Notre Dame.
Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Among college coaches, Whittingham is a lock for the best “hire-the-opposite” example. He has built the Utes into a Pac-12 contender in just the school’s fifth season in the league. It’s been an incredible rise.
But is it a cultural fit? As you’ll see in the 30-for-30 “Trojan War” this week, USC’s modern heyday was predicated upon celebrity visits. It was flash and fireworks. Whittingham, on the other hand, is blue-collar, through and through. He has constructed Utah as a developmental program. He’s never had to be a recruiter of high-end SoCal prospects, because very few were ever going to consider Salt Lake City.
“Can he go into those inner-city L.A. schools and recruit that blue-chip running back or receiver?” one agent said Tuesday. “That’s what I wonder.”
On Whittingham’s end, it makes some sense. The 55-year-old has gotten Utah to the top, for now. But he could easily look around and see the challenges in keeping the program there. Add to that on-and-off tension with his AD, who has been in that role since 1987, and Whittingham adds up as someone to watch in the search.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
He was squarely in the conversation the last time around. Those close to Sumlin and USC indicated that he pulled his name after deciding that he didn’t want to uproot his family, which has taken to Texas. Sumlin’s four kids are a couple of years older now, so there’s a chance that it makes more sense than it did in 2013. But that could again be a dead end.
When Kiffin was fired midseason, Sumlin also told those close to him that he wouldn’t want to inherit a toxic situation. The current climate feels no less toxic.
In the end, this possibility cannot be dismissed because Sumlin did have genuine interest in the job two years ago. His style and recruiting ability would be home runs in L.A., though other coaches -- including Steve Spurrier, publicly -- have questioned Sumlin’s résumé. If he broke through for a conference title with A&M, which is currently 5-0, it might be the perfect time for a move to either USC or the NFL.
James Franklin, Penn State
Franklin is still relatively new to Penn State, where he’s 12-7 -- and has a huge measuring-stick game Saturday at Ohio State.
Coaches question his X’s-and-O’s acumen, but they do not doubt his recruiting ability. The Lions are currently No. 4 in the 2016 Recruiting Nation class rankings. That’s one spot ahead of Alabama and two ahead of USC.
In the end, does Franklin’s football résumé seem a little too close to Sark’s? Great recruiter, questions remain in the coaching department. There might still be more to prove in Happy Valley, such as how to block for quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
Tom Herman, Houston
It’s clear by now that Herman, 5-0 in his first season at UH, knows what he’s doing. In terms of recruiting or actual wins, he’s generated a buzz where there previously was none.
He isn’t going to be at Houston long, but one year as a head coach is likely too premature for a job like SC. However, it would be a forward-thinking hire, and the 40-year-old is someone who is applying lessons learned from his time working with Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
It’s worth noting, too, that Ohio State’s offense has not been nearly as potent with Herman gone. Maybe that’s coincidence. But coaches have told me that it likely is not.
“Play-calling means something,” one said, “and something is off.”
In the end, it would be surprising to see USC go for a Group of 5 candidate such as Herman or Memphis’ Justin Fuente, who is from Gary Patterson’s coaching tree. It’ll aim higher.
Travis Haney, ESPN Staff Writer
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Shares
Comment
After Steve Sarkisian’s dismissal Monday, just 18 games into his stay at USC, there’s a staggering amount of instability for one of college football’s most storied programs. Interim Clay Helton becomes the fourth temporary or permanent head coach for the Trojans since Lane Kiffin was fired in September 2013, and Helton has twice been in this position.
When the team plays Notre Dame on Saturday, it will be the fourth different USC head coach Brian Kelly has seen standing across from him in four years.
Even with such an insane level of turnover, the USC brand holds strong. It’s still one of the very best jobs in the country.
A Power 5 head coach recently offered an anecdote that explains why.
“A few years ago, I was recruiting this kid for [another top-tier program], and it came down to us and USC. The kid wound up going to USC even though they were in the middle of a coaching change.
“I said, ‘Why would you go there? They don’t even have a coach.’”
“He said, ‘Because it’s USC. They’ll get a good coach.’”
There aren’t many programs in America that would carry that sort of weight. Of course, location is a huge reason for that. The draw of a major metro area -- and Hollywood and the beaches, etc. -- is always going to be a central recruiting tool for USC. History might not mean as much to the modern recruit, but playing at SC still has unwavering mystique.
“It’s still f------ USC,” one coach said. “It’ll always be f------ USC.”
There’s also a matter of who is ultimately making the hire. Athletic director Pat Haden’s hide is on the line with this Sarkisian hire. Coaches have been telling me that since before Sarkisian's Salute to Troy meltdown back in August.
There was always a sense in the coaching community that this was a risky hire for three reasons: (1) as with Kiffin, who failed before him, Sarkisian was a USC offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll; (2) he was 35-29 at Washington; and (3), the tales of his social behavior, in L.A. and Seattle, were far from a secret. Those might just now be coming to light, but they’ve been well traveled in coaching circles for some time.
“We just wanted the guy to get help, to be honest with you,” one coach told me in August. “You can’t be doing that stuff in public. But what do you say?”
Given all those factors, the Sarkisian hire needed to go well for Haden. This season needed to go well for Haden. Instead, it has blown up in his face not even two seasons into the experiment.
So monitor how Haden weathers the coming days, weeks and months. The next decision just might not be his to make.
Ultimately, who will the school target?
NFL route
Now free from his show-cause restriction, stemming from infractions at Oregon, Chip Kelly will be the popular name.
One coach told me he could see Kelly at Maryland before USC. No one I’ve spoken with has been on board with a Chip-USC connection.
“I just don’t see it,” the coach told me. “For one thing, who says he’s leaving the NFL? Why does everyone just assume that and run to that conclusion? [Also], you’re telling me Pat Haden is going to hire another coach who has had issues with the NCAA? I doubt that. That would be four USC coaches in a row with some kind of NCAA [past]; how many times can you do that?”
Another Power 5 coach: “It’s too early to know [who it’ll be] ... but it won’t be Chip Kelly.”
Don't expect to see Chip Kelly leave the NFL to return to the college ranks at the Coliseum.
Former Trojans Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio are sure to again get traction, just as they did the last time the job was open. And perhaps Fisher or Del Rio would be inclined to listen since the program is even worse off than it was two years ago.
It would entail a significant pay cut for Fisher, who is making $7-plus million as head coach of the St. Louis Rams. We did just see Jim Harbaugh take less money to aid his alma mater -- but $7 million per year is a whole lot of money, and USC would pay, at most, closer to $5 million.
Del Rio is not making nearly that, but he’s in his first season with what appears to be an improving Oakland Raiders roster.
However, at least one coach wondered whether an NFL coach would provide the stability that USC so desperately needs.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
As an agent said last year, “If you can coach at Notre Dame, you can coach anywhere.”
That was in reference to the notion that Kelly, now in his sixth season with the Irish, had been worn down by the constant attention as well as by Notre Dame's stringent academic restrictions, something he vented about earlier this year.
USC is another private school, and there’s still plenty of attention, but it does not have quite the same hurdles that Notre Dame does. Kelly has always cut the image of an NFL- or CEO-type figure. He would provide certain stability that is so desperately needed in L.A.
Kelly has proved he can recruit at a high level and field a competitive team at Notre Dame, and that was after a similar run of coaching instability in South Bend. He makes perhaps the most sense of any coach on the board, and he seems with each passing season to be closer and closer to making a move. There are a lot worse parachutes than USC, and Kelly just might consider the pressure there a vacation compared to Notre Dame.
Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Among college coaches, Whittingham is a lock for the best “hire-the-opposite” example. He has built the Utes into a Pac-12 contender in just the school’s fifth season in the league. It’s been an incredible rise.
But is it a cultural fit? As you’ll see in the 30-for-30 “Trojan War” this week, USC’s modern heyday was predicated upon celebrity visits. It was flash and fireworks. Whittingham, on the other hand, is blue-collar, through and through. He has constructed Utah as a developmental program. He’s never had to be a recruiter of high-end SoCal prospects, because very few were ever going to consider Salt Lake City.
“Can he go into those inner-city L.A. schools and recruit that blue-chip running back or receiver?” one agent said Tuesday. “That’s what I wonder.”
On Whittingham’s end, it makes some sense. The 55-year-old has gotten Utah to the top, for now. But he could easily look around and see the challenges in keeping the program there. Add to that on-and-off tension with his AD, who has been in that role since 1987, and Whittingham adds up as someone to watch in the search.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
He was squarely in the conversation the last time around. Those close to Sumlin and USC indicated that he pulled his name after deciding that he didn’t want to uproot his family, which has taken to Texas. Sumlin’s four kids are a couple of years older now, so there’s a chance that it makes more sense than it did in 2013. But that could again be a dead end.
When Kiffin was fired midseason, Sumlin also told those close to him that he wouldn’t want to inherit a toxic situation. The current climate feels no less toxic.
In the end, this possibility cannot be dismissed because Sumlin did have genuine interest in the job two years ago. His style and recruiting ability would be home runs in L.A., though other coaches -- including Steve Spurrier, publicly -- have questioned Sumlin’s résumé. If he broke through for a conference title with A&M, which is currently 5-0, it might be the perfect time for a move to either USC or the NFL.
James Franklin, Penn State
Franklin is still relatively new to Penn State, where he’s 12-7 -- and has a huge measuring-stick game Saturday at Ohio State.
Coaches question his X’s-and-O’s acumen, but they do not doubt his recruiting ability. The Lions are currently No. 4 in the 2016 Recruiting Nation class rankings. That’s one spot ahead of Alabama and two ahead of USC.
In the end, does Franklin’s football résumé seem a little too close to Sark’s? Great recruiter, questions remain in the coaching department. There might still be more to prove in Happy Valley, such as how to block for quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
Tom Herman, Houston
It’s clear by now that Herman, 5-0 in his first season at UH, knows what he’s doing. In terms of recruiting or actual wins, he’s generated a buzz where there previously was none.
He isn’t going to be at Houston long, but one year as a head coach is likely too premature for a job like SC. However, it would be a forward-thinking hire, and the 40-year-old is someone who is applying lessons learned from his time working with Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
It’s worth noting, too, that Ohio State’s offense has not been nearly as potent with Herman gone. Maybe that’s coincidence. But coaches have told me that it likely is not.
“Play-calling means something,” one said, “and something is off.”
In the end, it would be surprising to see USC go for a Group of 5 candidate such as Herman or Memphis’ Justin Fuente, who is from Gary Patterson’s coaching tree. It’ll aim higher.
